Really this just has been a really good week. Good rides on the cyclo-cross bike. Good feelings overall. Simply good.

But the really good news came yesterday. As you may know I have ulcerative colitis and I’ve been dealing with some side effects from some medication. These side effects wiped out my white blood cell count, gave me anemia and lowered by hemoglobin levels. So suffice it to say, training at full capacity was pretty much impossible. I stopped the medicine about three weeks ago and have been going for weekly blood tests. Each week hoping to hear that things were starting to get back to “normal”.

Well yesterday I got the good news: my numbers are all inside of the normal ranges. What a wave of relief. I’m super stoked about my iron level: 138 – crazy high for me! White blood cell counts are just at the bottom of normal and my hemoglobin (red blood cells) are right in the middle of normal. All very good news. Signs that my body is healing itself and I’m getting back to my old self.

So what does this mean for me? Well as much as I’d like to get into some intensity right away, common sense prevails  and I’ll be taking another week of steady riding, do another blood test – and then make a decision with my coach, doctor, and Marc.

But what it really means for me is this: I’m stoked! I can’t wait to get out and ride hard again. I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. And most importantly – Belgium is going to happen.

I’m feeling better everyday. My confident is sky high. My technical skills are getting better with every ride. Really, I can’t explain how relieved I and excited I am.

(And in the other news department…)

If you follow professional road cycling, you may have read about the sponsorship problems of HTC-Highroad:

HTC-Highroad owner Bob Stapleton told the AFP today that he is desperately seeking a sponsor for the team. HTC will end their commitment as title sponsor at the end of this season, which leaves the team without funding to continue. Money quote!

“If we haven’t secured a sponsor by the end of the Tour de France, we will have to sit down and start considering how to wind down operations,” Stapleton told AFP.

Stapleton also said that the doping controversies have made sponsors wary of committing to the sport. According to the AFP story, he is looking for a €10 million commitment per year for three years to keep the team on the road. HTC-Highroad boasts a ridiculous number of wins this season so far and includes some of the top riders in men’s and women’s cycling. The roster includes 36 riders, who will need new teams if Highroad stops.

(From Podium Cafe)

Very sad that such a team might be in jeopardy. Also interesting how much money the team needs for a season.

Well, this is where the extra dose of good news comes in…. The good news for you is that to sponsor a cyclo-cross rider for a season it doesn’t cost anything close to €10 million! Nope, you can sponsor me for a mere fraction of that cost. In fact my budget doesn’t even come close to having that many zeroes in it. The extra good news is that you can make a difference by sponsoring me and help instill confidence in the sport of cycling. And don’t worry – there won’t be any doping scandals with me. Nope – 100% clean and natural athlete (with a few tasty Clif Bar products in my belly to give me that boost I need). The even better good news is that you’ll be part of a super exciting season of racing and will be joining some pretty darn fine sponsors.

I’d say this is pretty solid dose of good news for a Friday morning. Really it doesn’t get much better: first off it is Friday, my health is back on track, I’m going to Belgium, you can sponsor me instead of HTC-Highroad and save yourself lots of money, and did I mention that it’s the weekend?

First off, big welcome to readers coming here from Citizen Cycle! I hope you like what you read here and maybe you’ll be encouraged to take up cyclo-cross racing. Ottawa has a vibrant cyclo-cross community with races for all levels and experience. If you have any questions about cyclo-cross, drop me an <a href=”mailto:vickith@yahoo.com”>email</a> or post in the comments (don’t be shy). And if you want some help with training and techniques – well let me know and I’ll be glad to help.

So today I was out in my regular stomping grounds doing some technical training and I started to get a bit frustrated. Things really just weren’t clicking the way I wanted. I suppose since these last few weeks of training have been really outstanding and I’ve had a few break-throughs and epiphanies, I’m kind of used to this happening with every ride. Sadly, this is not the case.

Today I wanted to work on bike acceleration. Sounds simple enough… Well, I went over to a sandy area that has a short but steep little climb. My idea was to start on the flattish but sandy ground and focus on sprinting and accelerating up and over the climb. Well, I got up and over the climb but I have to say there wasn’t much in the way of sprinting or acceleration happening. Rather I was muscling my way up and over. Sure I got over the climb but it was too slow and there really wasn’t any “jump” or sprint.

I started to get frustrated with myself and thought “if only I had someone here to show me how to do this”. Luckily I caught myself thinking this and was reminded of what Marc has been telling me the past few days “you don’t need someone to teach you. You have the skills to figure this stuff out. Play around on your bike and you’ll get it.”. So this is what I did. I played around with my gearing. I tried starting with my bum on the saddle and off. I tried starting on firmer terrain. I moved my bike back a few feet. Slowly things started to work. But I left still not feeling satisfied. All this means is that I need to go back again this week and give it another shot. Practice makes improvement after all.

The rest of the ride went really well. I now have my 44 tooth chainring on my bike (previously I was riding a 53/39 setup) – so now that I’m back to my 44/38 cyclo-cross gearing I can test my legs more and push things with the speed. One spot where I appear to be continuing to improve is in the sand. In years past I would ride in a much too easy gear – resulting in little to no speed going into the sand and with poor leg speed I wasn’t able to drive the bike forward. Now I’m riding in a much harder gear, sprinting much faster into the sand, using a few new techniques such as pulling up on the handlebars and pushing with my hips to keep the momentum forward rather than going down into the sand and I’m focusing on as high a leg speed as I can get. Now I find I can get through heavy sand pits I wasn’t able to before and with a lot more speed.

After this I hit up another spot to work more on my acceleration over steep climbs. In years past I’ve really struggled with steep climbs. Stalling out half-way up or even at the very top. Well, I discovered that once again, I’ve been riding in too easy of a gear. I’m happy to report that I can now get over climbs that last year left me bumbling and floundering around – and I did it in my 44/17 today! So this is some improvement. For me to do this, I have to remind myself to really sprint into the hill, to use my arms as well and then to continue sprinting up the hill and use my entire body to get over the top – literally thrusting my body over the lip.

So all this to say that the improvements are coming – slowly but surely. It really is the little adjustments along the way that will have the biggest pay-offs in the long run. I’ve updated my race calendar for the cyclo-cross season – I really can’t wait for September.

One final thought, this is thanks to Marc “Talent Is Over Rated”.

Today was a big day here in Ottawa – it was the day of the famous Preston St. criterium. This race has been going on for years (I don’t know how long) but I first watched it in 1994 (mine and Marc’s second date was me watching him race) – and I’ve hooked ever since…

I’ve done this race three times – the last time it was the big all-one category 100 km criterium that included the hill on Gladstone Ave. and then twice racing with the women. I had planned to do it this year, but it wasn’t in the cards.

Instead I was out to watch the races and to hand out The Cyclery water bottles to the little kids. It was literally an entire day of racing today including an hour of kids’ racing. Yes, one hour of all ages of kids on all manners of bikes – some raced for 100 meters on bikes with training wheels (or bikes with no pedals) right up to an under 13 category that races on the full course. Seeing those kids race was something special. Even better was talking to some of them after the race and hearing them replay the race and seeing the enthusiasm in their faces and body language. Let’s hope these kids stick with cycling.

For me the other highlight of the day was watching the men’s racing and cheering on Marc. Watching him race and seeing so many others race really made me miss racing. It was hard to be at the race and explain to people when asked why I wasn’t racing. But I know my time will come soon and when it does I’ll be ready for it.

A sign of progress is  being at the race and really wish I could do it. I’m feeling stronger and stronger every day. My legs are coming around. My recovery is better. My technical skills are increasing by leaps and bounds. Now I just need the okay from those who look at the numbers and I’ll be back on full-steam ahead.

As John Gee said to me today “you’re always an optimist” – well there really is no other way to be. I’ve got that feeling that this is going to be a good one.

I realize the other day that I haven’t written about an integral group of people of companies in a while. Yes, I’m talking about my sponsors. As any athlete knows, without sponsors, it is literally impossible to race a bike. I’ve been fortunate to have a core set of sponsors who have been with me from the start of my cyclo-cross racing adventure. So without further mumbling, I just want to say thank-you to the following outstanding companies:

• The Cyclery: gosh what can I say about Vince and his tremendous support? Without Vince’s support and encouragement, I don’t think this website and Ottawa.cx would even exist. He has provided me with bikes, group sets, clothes, mechanical work – basically anything I need – Vince and his staff at The Cyclery are there. Not many people realize the amount of support that Vince gives to local cyclists. Thanks Vince and The Cyclery for the support.
• Stevens Bikes: I’ve been racing on Stevens Bikes since 2007. I can’t say enough about these bikes and the company. I’ve been very lucky to have the support of Stevens Bikes Canada. I get to race on one of the most popular and in-demand cyclo-cross bikes on the scene. The Stevens Carbon Team is a pure beauty to ride. Thanks Stevens Bikes Canada for the bikes and sponsorship.
• Clif Bar: having food in my jersey pocket that I want to eat, makes it really easy to be on top of my training, racing and recovery nutrition. This might sound cheesy, but honestly, I haven’t tried a Clif Bar product that I don’t like. I’m really happy to see the new gluten-free products as well. From gels that go down easy to the Luna protein bars to the very popular Clif Shot Bloks – this food is simply the best. Yes, I call it food – because Clif Bar products are made from real organic ingredients. Thanks Clif Bar for helping me to  so easily stay on top of my nutrition and fueling my rides.
• Bell Lap Coaching: without coach Steve Weller, I wouldn’t even be here writing this post. He really has believed in me from the start and has made it realistic and possible for me to chase my cyclo-cross racing dreams. No challenge is too big for Steve – when I tell him what I want to do, he gets down to business and figures out how I can get there in the best form possible. This past season has been a roller-coaster with my health, and Steve is always there to adjust my training as needed and to remind me of the big picture. Thanks Steve and Bell Lap Coaching!
• Outdoor Gear Canada: thanks to a great local rep, I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible support from Outdoor Gear Canada. New helmet, new gloves, flashy new shoes, fast wheels – really whatever it is, I’m lucky to receive some top notch gear. Thanks to Outdoor Gear Canada for the continued support and great products to race and train with.
• Champion Systems Canada: I’ve been racing in Champions Systems clothing since 2007 and last season I received sponsorship from Champion Systems Canada. Everyone I’ve worked with has been top-notch and very understanding when it comes to uploading logos, making last minute changes to my clothing design and delivering my racing and training clothes early. I’ve tried a whole range of Champion Systems Canada products, and really there is not one item of clothing I have complaints about – everything fits, looks good, is durable, and best of all is completely customized for me. Thanks Sean for helping me look good while going fast!

A pretty darn solid group of companies and people – really the backbone behind my racing and training. I’m looking forward to another excellent season of racing and training – showing off the sponsors who have supported me over the years.

Today I woke up with a dull ache in my quads. That feeling that comes when you walk down the stairs, walk up the stairs, or just generally walk anywhere… Guess I pushed my legs a bit too much yesterday. This happened ever so innocently and it definitely wasn’t my intent to wake up with tender legs.

So today I’m resting. I’ve ridden five days in a row now so I guess it is time for a day off. I know five days in a row isn’t a big deal to most of you but I’m still in the recovery stage thanks to my low white blood cell count (thanks to Imuran). My coach has told me to take it easy with maximum 90 minute rides in the woods at an easy pace. I’ve been sticking to this plan fairly well…

Yesterday though I was feeling pretty good and eager to work on some more of the skills I practiced with Rene… so I road on over to an excellent sandy spot in the city and worked on my uphill dismounts in the sand. This meant I ran up a rather steep hill seven or eight times and I also practiced riding down this deep and soft sand hill for the equivalent number of times. Once this was done I road over to another spot and worked on attacking a steep incline and each time in a harder gear.

So, ya, I guess I pushed the envelope a bit. Add to this some bicycle commuting around my suburb and some extra walking last night. All this adds up to some sore legs. And admittedly, a tired body. So today I rest. I’m drinking extra liquids and being careful to stay out of the crazy heat we have here in Ottawa.

It is hard to not be riding on such a beautiful day, but there will be more days like this. Tomorrow I’ll get back out in the woods and take things a bit easier. No sand riding or uphill sprints – instead I’ll work on corner speed, descending with confidence and some barrier technique.

Last night I attended a talk by Brendan Brazier of the Thrive Diet. I’ve been interested in veganism for some time now – purely for the impact it could have on my performance and in dealing with my ulcerative colitis. Well, last night I decided it is time to make the transition and see how I feel on a vegan diet. My original plan was to start on Monday (as I wrote about on Facebook and Twitter) but now after talking to Marc about it, it makes more sense to wait until I know that my white blood cell count has normalized or at least stabilized. So instead of going completely vegan next week I’ll focus on more vegan meals/days with some days that still involve eating meat, fish and eggs. I’d be curious to hear from any of you about your diet and how you find it impacts your training, racing, recovery and overall health.